I've been here in Girona for nearly two weeks now and I'm in love with it!Well, err... okay okay, it's probably still just infatuation and not TRUE love, but in any event I'm head-over-heals for Girona right now. This also marks my first time to the country of Spain, so Espan(insert squiggly over the "n")a is definitely leaving a positive impression on me. I think one of my favorite parts of the Spanish culture is la siesta! They have it down to a calculated 2-4:30pm nap time during the hottest part of the day. It's perfect for a cyclist like myself who is generally returning home from training around that time, so after a quick bite to eat, it's nap time!Although, I find it somewhat ironic that when I'm not in the mood for an actual nap, I'll slip out the door and grab a tasty cappuccino (the irony being I'm getting hyped up on caffeine when the rest of town is catching some shut-eye).In typical iamtedking fashion, here is one of my latest baked creations - banana bread. I lacked a handful of ingredients that are generally a staple of my baked creations, so after a little improvisation at the local market I give unto you banana bread:No chocolate chips? Smash a chocolate bar. Running low on flour? Using All-Bran cereal and oats. No apple sauce in lieu of oil? Use baby food! (Yeah that last one sounds weird, but it worked great. Plus it's 100% fruit whirred up to the smoothest consistency I've ever seen! Or at least haven't seen in 25 years of life.)The subject of food is a perfect segue to my recent trip to the beach, because one of the key highlights of the beach was the comestibles. I had an easy day scheduled on the bike, so with 2.5 hours of riding out of the way by late morning we were beach-bound. I ordered the beach-front restaurant's signature sandwich, the Toucan. I, however, call it "The Convertible" because it had a retractable roof! It's a club sandwich with chicken, cheese, A FRIED EGG BUSTING OUT THE TOP OF THE SANDWICH(!), lettuce, tomato, and whiskey sauce... whatever the heck whiskey sauce is is beyond me, but it sure didn't taste like whiskey. Oh, and all this for like 3.50 euro.The beach itself was naturally picturesque and spectacular. I've never been IN the Mediterranean Sea before, so that marked another first for this trip. I wasn't too worried about applying sunscreen in a hodgepodge manner to my back, because my model-ish figure and impeccably bronzed skin are already out the window. Yup, here's your typical cyclist's tan lines:Also note the lighter tanned "wings" created with bib shorts. Style.I could offer a shot of the water, but everyone would give you a picture of the water in this situation (picture clear blue Bermuda water). So here is our home for the afternoon. You may notice the towels are an eclecit bunch. They range from the smallest beach towel ever created (left) to a standard bathroom towel (mine in white), and a hand-towel on the right.Here's a picture I took this morning while on my last ride before racing this weekend. Sunflowers and the Tour de France in my mind go hand in hand, thanks to pictures like THIS. But this is a perfect time to tell you that this weekend I will begin my first ever Tour de... Austria! I've had a lot of people send me well wishes for my debut Tour de France, and I'm flattered that you think I'm going, but I'll be doing the 8 day Austria tour instead. Should be some great racing at both events!Adios amigos!